Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Context: The Supreme Court of India emphasized in a recent judgment that forests are a crucial national asset and a significant contributor to the country’s financial wealth.
- This ruling came amidst criticism of the Forest Conservation (Amendment) Act of 2023, which is accused of facilitating encroachments in protected forests and promoting commercial exploitation.
- The court condemned the act of granting forest land to private individuals and ordered an investigation against forest officials for providing contradictory information about the land.
- It also imposed fines on both the state government and the private parties involved.
